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Homemade window quilts are a great way to add insulation and keep bedrooms dark at night, especially if you have an urban homestead with some bright streetlamps outside.
Everyone wants to save some money on winter heating bills, right?
It's also really important to me that we sleep in the dark. You need darkness at night for proper hormone production to really get a good night of sleep.
When we got married, I bought some special window quilt material. It came with multiple layers, including batting for insulation, an inner reflective layer that helped provide opacity for darkness, and a canvas layer towards the window.
These layers were already quilted together in long lines. I had to cut the material to the right size to fit my windows.
I also had to buy a roll of muslin to add a top layer for the side that would face our rooms. I got fancy and decorated it with stars. I had to stitch it all together.
I also had to buy a roll of muslin to add a top layer for the side that would face our rooms. I got fancy and decorated it with stars. I had to stitch it all together.
Then I used sticky backed Velcro tape all around the window frames and my quilts for a nice tight seal.
They worked great for keeping the rooms insulated and dark at night, but there were a couple of problems.
So we had to replace them, but I no longer had the time or energy to take over the living room for days spreading out materials, cutting, and sewing. We needed a quicker (and ideally cheaper) way to get the results we wanted.
We came up with a new and improved version using materials that are easier to obtain and easier to replace when needed. And MUCH quicker to make!
1 black garbage bag large enough to cover your window
thick quilt batting (1" or whatever suits you) large enough to cover your window
straight stick or dowel long enough for the bottom of the window
measuring tape
scissors
needle
thread
duct tape
sticky backed Velcro (I used this)
2 small screw in hooks
2 lengths of string tied into loops
These covers use the hooks and string loops from our first window quilts. They only use the Velcro at the top of the window.
Unlike the window quilts which set into the window and sealed, these are larger at the bottom and sides to overlap the window trim. It seals it somewhat and keeps them away from the wet glass where condensation builds up.
Screw the two hooks into the window trim at the top and hang a loop of string on each. The string remains tied in a permanent loop so it folds around the rolled up cover and you see four lines of string holding it.
Have the loops hanging down when you stick your window cover on the Velcro at the top so the loops are towards the glass.
We love our new homemade window shades. If you try making some, please let me know and share your results below!
The quick plastic versions were in serious need of replacement after 3 years. A couple of holes had developed. The batting fuzz was getting pulled along the edges. And most annoying, the plastic was noisy when rolled up in the morning.
Time for another improved version!
What would be washable, quiet, and dark? Fleece!
I reused the batting from the plastic version as the filling to keep them warm. This added some pressure because it meant I needed to have them down and totally sewed up and finished all in one day so we could continue to sleep in the dark.
Now how to hang these without the annoying hook and loop that never stayed?
Triangular pockets!
Measure the width of the window and take the measurement of one third. Make a square using that measurement and surge it into a triangle. I used these triangles to help square things up when I sewed the edges.
A stick goes across the top and is tied to the hooks above the window.
The white one does not block light as well as the others I made using black and blue. I used a different print on each window. We had to have the bee one!
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